Funviralpark I have never been so amazed by food in my life.
When the delivery man unloaded three red boxes about the size of a small handbag, they had yellow handles, X marks on the sides instead of eyes, and a frowning face. .
When I opened all the wrapping, the food was like McDonald’s. The nuggets are brown and crispy. The burger was flooded with mustard, ketchup, pickles and diced onions. Hell, the fries looked golden but dripping from the steam created in the box during the car ride.
The only question that has to be answered is did it taste like McDonald’s?
Mr. Charlie’s is a new plant-based fast service restaurant located at 432 Sutter Street near Union Square in San Francisco. The company opened its first restaurant in Los Angeles in February. After setting up a store directly across from McDonald’s in downtown San Francisco, which currently delivers only in San Francisco, it will officially open on December 31st.
After Lizzo gave a positive review of the restaurant on TikTok, the rest of the internet followed suit. Mr. Charlie’s soon became known as “The Vegan McDonald’s”. And given the brand’s design, it makes perfect sense—everything Mr. Charlie’s resembles McDonald’s. Red and yellow fill every nook and cranny, from Instagram to websites to restaurant designs. The signature item on the menu is ‘The Frowny Meal’, a direct troll of McDonald’s Happy Meal. No word yet on whether McDonald’s attorneys have been in contact with Mr. Charlies.
In fact, the whole concept of the restaurant is to troll the most popular fast food joint in the United States. What better way to flip the fast food script than to challenge Goliath? Founded by Charlie Kim (San Francisco native and namesake of the brand), the David-inspired chain’s mission is to “provide friendly, plant-based food, fun, and support to the community.”
The founders say they wanted to create accessible, plant-based foods that research shows are better for the environment than animal-based foods. I wanted to create jobs for the homeless, so I partnered with the Dream Center of Los Angeles, which provides outreach, housing, and resource programs for the homeless.
I’m not Lizzo, but I hope this review goes viral, but I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Charlie’s Frowny Meal.
I’ve always been someone who enjoys meat over plant-based alternatives (come vegan!). However, as I said at the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the food at this restaurant.
The burger was incredibly similar to a McDonald’s burger. The thin patty made with Impossible Burger was honestly barely noticeable. The main flavors were a combination of ketchup and mustard and the sourness of sliced pickles. Come to think of it, that’s pretty much how it tastes when you eat a Big Mac.
The “chicken” nuggets were a big hit among the colleagues I had this meal with. The golden brown mouse popper tasted like a McNugget. But the easy-dunk nabs of fried fake meat were much more enjoyed with one of four sauces—green goddess dressing, chipotle aioli, regular barbecue sauce, and honey walnut shrimp. A white seasoning reminiscent of the elegant glaze of
Mr. Charlie’s Frowny Meal smelled like McDonald’s. Felt like McDonald’s. It looked that part. And now I can say with confidence, it tasted like McDonald’s too.
